Pwllheli

Jim Saltonstall looks at Pwllheli, a major North Wales venue

Pwllheli has a lot to offer with superb racing waters at the northern end of Cardigan Bay. A great deal of development has taken place in the area over the past five years. There is a brand new clubhouse and marina facilities; good parking for both boats and cars; and great hospitality from the club members. Access to Pwllheli has improved greatly in recent months, with the A55 dual carriageway open all the way to the Menai straights from the M6 and M56, substantially cutting the journey time.

We have had some excellent times at Pwllheli, who have always been excellent hosts, running major events in a very professional manner. Accommodation needs to be booked in good time (especially during school holidays), as it is a popular venue. There is also a holiday camp on the eastern side of the town, and plenty of caravan and campsites nearby. Plus - Pwllheli serves some of the best fish and chips in the country!

Race Area

The sailing happens just to the south and west of the town, and Pwllheli can offer more than one race area if required. The main race area is relatively close to the harbour, so there is not far to travel once you clear the beach or harbour entrance. With Mount Snowden in the background, the setting is really pretty.

Wind Direction

250-60 degrees (through north): The venue is land locked within this sector, and the bay is exposed to everything that the Atlantic can throw at it from the south-west.

330-050 degrees: Wind blowing from anywhere in this sector has travelled over relatively high ground. So it is important to know the high and low numbers on the compass, as wind shifts are the order of the day. The wind shifts in the starting area can be as much as 20 to 30 degrees, whereas up in the windward mark area, they can be up to 40 or 50 degrees. It is equally important that you have your eyes out of the boat looking for the wind, as it is also gusty.

090-160 degrees: Go left up the beat for the same reasons as above, but this time it tends to be more gusty as the wind in this sector is coming away from a higher land mass.

160-180 degrees: Once again, the left side of the course is favoured up the beat - with the land mass on your left, there will be more wind on the port side. This will only apply if you can get close enough to the land to feel the effect - that is if the port layline for the windward mark is within a mile of the shoreline.

180-240 degrees: This is the clear sector for the wind, it being most stable in both direction and velocity. This direction also produces the roughest sea state. In light winds it can be sloppy and confused, not good for those who may suffer from seasickness, so have your pills or wrist bands ready. The favoured side of the beat now depends on two factors: the tide - which we will look at later; and the weather forecast - which way is the wind expected to shift, if at all.

240-330 degrees: With the wind in this direction, left-of-middle should have more wind. But on the right side of the course, expect a lift on port tack as you go into the shore, and a lift on starboard as you go back out - the tide might make your mind up.

Sea Breeze

Sea breezes are tricky at Pwllheli, as it is on a peninsular. The land warming can attract a sea breeze from both the north and the south, cancelling each other, so we end up with nothing. The best sea breeze will only come if the mainland gets really warm, with towering cumulus clouds and a cool sea. That will produce a medium to strong sea breeze from the south-west. The first signs for a good sea breeze are early morning. If there is a clear blue sky, with no gradient wind or a light north-easterly wind, the chances are that a good sea breeze will begin to fill in late morning-to-early afternoon.

Tide

The flood tide is anti-clockwise around the bay, heading towards Abersoch. It’s not too strong - maximum one knot during springs. During the ebb tide, there is a clockwise rotation around the bay, with a slight back eddy between Abersoch and Pwllheli.

Other Information Sources

Admiralty Charts

1971
1512 (Harbour Detail)

Tidal Information

Admiralty Tidal Stream Atlas Number NP256 (Irish Sea and Bristol Channel, no detail)

Tourist Office

Pwllheli, phone: 01758 613 000